Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, delivered a verdict on Thursday, February 1, 2024, that has sent shockwaves through the entertainment industry.
Renowned actress Oluwadarasimi Omoseyin has been convicted and sentenced to six months in prison for her role in spraying and disrespecting the new naira notes during a social event in Lagos State.
This legal saga began on February 13, 2023, when Omoseyin was initially arraigned by the Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on two counts of currency tampering.
The actress, who initially pleaded “not guilty,” was granted bail on February 15, 2023, as the legal proceedings unfolded.
One of the charges brought against Omoseyin stated that on January 28, 2023, at Monarch Event Centre in Lekki, Lagos, she tampered with the sum of N100,000 issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria by spraying it during a social occasion.
This act was deemed a violation of Section 21(1) of the Central Bank Act, 2007.
At the recent court hearing, the actress, confronted with compelling evidence, made a surprising shift from her initial plea of innocence to a “guilty” admission.
Subsequently, the prosecution counsel, Z.B. Atiku, presented Abubakar Mohammed Marafa, an EFCC operative, to elucidate on the facts of the matter.
Marafa recounted the events leading to Omoseyin’s arrest, detailing that the actress had been apprehended by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) before being handed over to the EFCC for further investigation. Her statement, taken under caution, revealed her admission of spraying N200 and N100 naira notes at a friend’s wedding on January 28, 2023.
The prosecution presented a slew of evidence, including a forensic report of Omoseyin’s phone, video footage of the money-spraying incident, and statements from the event center’s management. Justice Aneke admitted these as exhibits and subsequently convicted the actress as charged.
Despite the plea for leniency from Omoseyin’s defense counsel, Afuye Adegbola, citing her status as a first-time offender, mother of one, and expressions of remorse, Justice Aneke handed down a six-month prison sentence.
Alternatively, the actress has the option to pay a N300,000 fine, payable into the consolidated revenue account of the federation.
The incident that led to Omoseyin’s legal entanglement unfolded when a video of her spraying and stepping on the newly redesigned naira notes at a party surfaced online. Operatives of the ICPC arrested her along Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.
In her statement to the commission, she claimed to have received the money from her fans at the party, disassociating herself from the individual who provided the funds. Notably, a Range Rover was among the items recovered from her at the point of arrest, adding a layer of complexity to the entire episode.
As the actress begins her six-month sentence or contemplates the financial penalty, the repercussions of this case are bound to resonate within the entertainment industry and beyond, serving as a cautionary tale against disrespecting the nation’s currency.
